Apparatus for the production of masses or solutions free from air and other gases



B. BORZYKOWSKI. APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MASSES 0R SOLUTIONS FREE FROM AIR AND OTHER GASES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1920. 1 57,947, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

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BENITO BOBZYKOWSKI, 0F CLEVEIIAND, OHIO.

APP'I US FOR THE PRODUCTION OF MASSES 0R SOLUTIONS FREE FROM AIR AND OTHER GASES.

1,357,947. Original application filed August 13,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

1920. Serial N0. 371,631.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, BENNO BORZYKOWSKI, a citizen of Poland residing at Cleveland, in the county of (luyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Apparatus for the Production of Masses or Solutions Free from Air and other Gases, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to apparatus for the production of masses or solutions free from air and other gases, and particularly those employed in the manufacture of artificial threads, films or other articles.

For the production of' artificial articles, such as threads or films, from cellulose and other solutions, the material must be freed of every trace of air in suspension, because otherwise, when the material, interspersed with air bubbles, passes out of the spinning nozzles, or the apertures of the pourer, the threads will break, or films with air bubbles will be formed. It is also injurious-for the material to contain an excess of gases or volatile solvents. For instance, anexcess of free ammonia 1n cupric oxid-ammonla-cellulose solutions produces a weak thread of gray appearance, while free carbon disulfid in a viscose solution has an unfavorable action on the solution itself and on the coagulation of the same. To eliminate these drawbacks, various methods have heretofore been proposed, among others being that of using as little as possible of the volatile Solvin (gelatinizing) agents, and treating the soTutions under the action of a vacuum in a kneading machine.

These methods have, however, proved imperfect and impracticable, to a greater or less extent, for the following reasons: The reduction of the solving (gelatini'zing) agent can be carried only to a certain point, because there would otherwise be danger of non homogeneous masses being formed, while the kneading of the material in 'vacuo requires expensive and complicated apparadifiicult to clean and does not entirely reinovethe air bubbles from the material since, after the kneading and exhaustion or evacuation, the material becomes mixed with the air which is contained in the pipes and receptacles from which the material is projected into the coagulating baths, or the like.

This invention pertains to an apparatus by means of which the material can not only be absolutely freed in a simple manner of air and objectionable vapors, receptacles and spinning tube, but which also renders it possible to recover the excess of the solving or gelatinizing agent, and is based on the following observations:

(A) That the desired result can be attained without the employment of special apparatus, simply by means of the ordinary receptacles and piping, provided the receptacles for the material are fitted with cone or umbrella shaped surfaces or spreaders over which the material, after exhaustion of the receptacles, is made to flow slowly in a thin layer, while the exhaustion is being continued, and the material, thus exhausted, is conveyed by means of a vacuum through the fine filters and spinning tube after exhaustion of the latter; and

(B). That materials which have been pi 'c-' pared with an excess of solving or gelat1n1z-\ ing agents can be treated, filtered, and exhausted much more easily, or that materials with which a volatile solution, indifferent to the material, is admixed, may be readily treated by means of the vacuum for the elimination of the air bubbles and excess of solvent. 1

The apparatus will be explained in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein it is shown more or less diagrammatically, and of necessity in apparatus the process will be set forth. No claim, however, is made to the process in this-case, the same being set forth and claimed in my application Serial No. 186,036, filed on or about this application being a parent case. a

The receptacle 1 contains a material which, in order to insure perfect homogeneity, has been prepared with an excess of solving or elatinizing agents, or to which some indifferent and, if possible,

division of said even inside of the describing the August 13, 1917,

" the cocks .O and O highly volatile solution (e. g., sulfuric ether in case of viscose material) has been added, and which has been freed in. a known manner of the coarser impurities by means of filters. 1 and 1 denote filters, interposed between receptacle 1 and the receptacles or chambers 2 and 3, from which latterthe material, after the valves 4 and 5 have been opened, passes into the supply pipefi, and

when the valves 7 and 8 have been opened,

chamber 0, fitted with a stop-cock 16.

From the vacuum pipe 15 another pipe, 17, branches oil at the stop valve 16 and leads 'to the valves 18 and 19 located in the upper part of the filters 9 and 10', and to the valves 7 20 and 21'located in the covers of the receptacles 2 and 3. The vacuum pipes 15 and '17 lead to the vacuum chamber C, which is provided with an observation glass C, while the main vacuum pipe 17 extends from the chamber C and is connected to coils or manifolds 23, in the preheater 22. The coils 23 are capable of being heated by hot water or steam introduced through the inlet 24. 25 is the exhaust for the steam or water. 26 is the connecting ipe leading to the vacuum. pump 27, whi e 28 designates the connecting pipe leading to the condenser 29. 30 are the cooling coilsin the condenser, to which the cooling medium is admitted at 31, the same passing out at 32. The con densate is drawn off at 33.

The operation is as followsf When the system is empty and vboth"receptacles 2 and 3 are to be charged with material free of air and gases, which is to be passed through the fine filters 9 and 10 and the spinning tube 12, cocks O, O, controlling the flow from the filters 1", 1 to the receptacles 2 and 3, and valves 4 and 5 are closed, and the cocks or valves 7, 8, 20, 21, 18, 19 16 and 16 are opened. .The vacuum pump 27 is started, and as soon as the vacuum meter indicates a. sufficient vacuum in the system,

are opened and the material is allowed to flow from the'receptacle 1 through filters 1 and 1 onto the coneshaped metal plates B and B, which are spaced from the covers and walls of the. receptacles 2 and These plates are held in closed and the cocks 4, 5, 7, 8,

running onto the deflectors or spreaders, and from these along the walls 0 the receptacles 2' and 3. It thus becomes ossible to free the material while it is so fi ed on the deflectors and the walls of the receptacles of air bubbles and surplus gases according to the rate of admission of the material and the height of the vacuum. ,W hen the receptacles 2 and 3 are full, the cocks and valves 0, O, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 16* are i 8 and 16 are opened. The vacuum pum continues to work until the material, suc ed by the vacuum through the exhausted filters and spinning tube, begins to flow into the chamber C. At that moment the stop-cock 16 is closed and the whole system is filled with material free of air and gases. The subsequent passage of the material through the exhausted system (spinning tube and spinning nozzles) for continuous operation is then. effected in any'known mannerbyl putting air pressure on the material in t e rece tacles 2 and 3, by gravity, or ,the like.

hen one of the receptacles 2and 3 is empty and is to be charged with material free of air and gases during :the period of time that the material from theother receptacle is being discharged to the filters and the spinning tube, the operation is as follows: x

The discharge cock of the receptacle which is being emptied is preferably closed while some of the material is still left in said receptacle in order that no air which is in the receptacle above the material may be able to enter the supply pipe 6. Any compressed air contained in the receptacle is then allowed to escape. Thereupon, the re ceptacle is exhausted by means of a vacuum pump, and as soon as the vacuum-meter indicates a suificient vacuum in the receptacle the admission cock 0 is opened, while 0' o the other receptacle is closed. The material spreads, as described above, over the deflector B, in a thin layer or film and is completely freed of air.

When it becomes necessary to renew the filtering material in one of the filters 9 or 10, the cock 7 or 8,"respectively, is closed in order to shut off the supply of material to the filter. The cook 7 or 8, respectively, is

also closed to prevent the return flow of the vacuum filter.

The gases sucked out by the vacuum pump are preheated, if required, in the preheater 22, and as they are practically free of air they may be regenerated in the original form by condensation in the condenser 29.

It is obvious that by this process, without the employment of special expensive and complicated apparatus, continuous manufacture is insured, which is highly important and very economical, particularly in the production of artificial threads, films, etc., where it is necessary'to keep up the manufacture without interruption day and night.

It is, of course, to be understood that the apparatus described above by way of example is capable of being modified in many ways, and of being employed not only 'for the manufacture of threads and films, but wherever materials free of air, or of air and other gases, can be used, without thereby affecting the character of the invention. It

is also to be understood that the regeneration of the gases may be effected by different means, a. by absorption and distillation, without affecting the character of the invention.

elimination ofthe excess gases, in combination with known methods of regeneration of the same and in combination with the system described, admits of the intermittent and continuous production and treatment of materials free of air and other gases.

In the case of materials containing a very volatile solvent of low boiling-point, or materials which must not be heated, the receptacles 2 and 3 are fitted with cooling jackets or cooling coils through which a cooling medium is made to pass, or any other suitable cation Serial No. 186,036, filed August 13,

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for the production of air-free masses for producing artificial threads, the combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a supply of material; a pair of chambers; a filter located between each of said chambers and the receptacle; means contained within each chamber for filming the mass as it passes thereinto; a.

spinning system connected to said chambers; and means for exhausting the air from said chambers and said system.

2. In an apparatus for the production of artificial threads from air-free masses, the

combination of a receptacle adapted to contain a supply of material; a pair of chambers; a filter located between each chamber and the receptacle; means contained within each chamber for filming the mass as it passes thereto from the filters; a spinning mechanism; a pair of filters interposed between said mechanism and the chambers; a vacuum-producing device connected to the chambers, to said second set of filters, and to the spinning mechanism; and valves for controlling the apparatus.

3. In an apparatus for the production of air-free masses for producing artificial threads, the combination ofa receptacle; means contained within such receptacle for filming the mass as it passes thereinto means a for exhausting the air from said receptacle;

and means for preventing heating or boiling of the material. In testimony name to this specification.

BENNO BORZYKOWSKI.

whereof, I have signed my 

